For a dog owner, there’s hardly anything scarier than hearing that their pet is suffering from cancer. It’s one of the hardest things your pet could go through and dealing with it takes time, patience and professional care. The best way to make sure your dog has the best care is to recognize the symptoms early and inform your vet.

This isn’t always easy, because sometimes the symptoms could be caused by a different disease. However, if you notice that something is wrong – talk to your vet as soon as possible.

Changes in your dog’s mouth

The signs of cancer usually appear only when it’s too late. Lumps and other changes in and on your dog’s body, usually appear only when some type of cancer has advanced quite a lot. On the other hand, by examining your dog’s mouth, you can notice that something’s wrong even before the symptoms appear.

If there are unusual lumps or other changes in your dog’s mouth, it might be time to talk to your vet. Strange odors or tenderness are both signs of cancer, but they could also be a sign of many other problems, so don’t panic prematurely.

Coughing

Coughing could be a symptom of many diseases. Some are quite easy to treat and manage, while others could be very dangerous. When it comes to coughing, it’s not always easy to determine what’s causing it.

If the coughing is persistent and it doesn’t seem to be affected by the changes in the environment you need to take notice. If this happens even when there are no smells that could trigger it, and you keep your home well ventilated, ask the vet about testing.

Mood changes

This is probably the hardest symptom to detect. It’s often a sign that the dog is experiencing pain and discomfort. The biggest problem is that it takes a bit of time for the owners to notice it.

If your dog is usually playful and enjoys the company of other dogs or people, and this isn’t the case anymore – consult your vet. The reason behind it might just be aging, but it could also be more than that. The same rules apply if the dog has become restless and hard to manage – it might be because of some more serious health problem.

Weight loss

Changes in or loss of appetite usually take a long time to manifest even if you know your dog well. One of the ways you can keep an eye on your dog’s diet is to make it consistent. Order quality food, such as Royal Canin dog food, in large bulks and create a feeding schedule.

If the changes in your dog’s appetite and feeding habits aren’t related to the type of food or the changes in temperature, there’s something more sinister at play and you need to investigate it further. This is especially true if your dog is eating normally, but is still losing weight.

Bleeding

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that bleeding is a serious symptom and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s not always a sign of cancer, but when it’s sudden and unexpected, it could be. If your dog is bleeding without any noticeable wounds or injuries take it to the vet immediately.

On the other hand, if your dog has some smaller injuries, which can sometimes happen if your dog is free to run outside, and the bleeding doesn’t stop after a while – take it to the vet.

Prevention and early treatment are the best ways to handle cancer in dogs, so you should pay attention to the symptoms before they become too serious.